In our quest to keep our readers up to date with the latest stories relating to the food truck industry has compiled a list of the stories that hit the wire this weekend from Minneapolis, Dallas, Appleton, Chattanooga, Chicago and Tulsa.
July 6
Downtown Restaurants Say Food Trucks Are Stealing Their Business – MINNEAPOLIS, MN— The fight for your lunch dollar is heating up in downtown Minneapolis. Some businesses claim that food trucks are hurting their bottom line, and they say the city is giving street food vendors an unfair advantage over brick and mortar stores.
“The trucks park in front of our doors and hijack our customers,” said Doug Sams, founder of D. Brian’s Deli & Catering. Sams says food trucks have hurt his sales by about five percent.
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Dallas Area Food Trucks Targeted In Recent Robberies – DALLAS, TX – Targeted in two recent robberies, food trucks in the Dallas area say they’re taking precautions.
Social media sites for several businesses are buzzing with the news.
“Food truckers be on alert,” reads a recent tweet from Jack’s Chowhound. “They are armed and aggressive.”
The first robbery, on June 27, happened at a gas station where dozens of food trucks refuel on their way to the local commissary.?According to a Dallas police report, the driver, Olga Rodriguez, was pumping gas, when a car pulled up with three men inside.
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July 7
Appleton continues to firm up rules for food carts, trucks, APPLETON, WI – Appleton will vote next week on firmer rules for mobile food trucks and carts in its central business district downtown.
The Municipal Services Committee voted 4-1 at its last meeting to cap the number of permits for both small carts parked on sidewalks and larger food trucks. The rules will head to the full council July 18.
“This spelled out that we can have eight permits east of Appleton Street and eight west of Appleton Street and will allow four licensed food trucks downtown,” said Ald. Joe Martin, who drafted the resolution for the changes.
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Local food trucks head to Knoxville – Chattanooga, TN – The Food Network and the Cooking Channel may help millions of Americans prepare their food, but for the next three months some of the food that feeds many of the network’s 900 employees in Knoxville will come from Chattanooga food trucks.
The headquarters of Scripps Networks Interactive is rebuilding its Food Network kitchen by October. In the meantime, Scripps is using a half dozen food trucks, including at least four from Chattanooga, to feed its employees.
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July 8
Food truck ordinance savory to some, sour to others – CHICAGO, IL – As Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s food truck ordinance heads toward a council vote this month, both sides — broadly represented by brick-and-mortar restaurateurs on one side and food truck entrepreneurs on the other — will make sure aldermen hear their views.
The current proposed ordinance would allow cooking on trucks; 24-hour operation but two hours maximum at any truck stand; and special parking areas in busy neighborhoods. But it would also impose a 200-foot buffer zone between trucks and restaurants in most cases, GPS tracking of each truck and fines of up to $2,000 for violations.
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Food truck court soon coming to Pearl District – TULSA, OK – Mitch Neely and Phillip Phillips both have individual plans to open up their own food trucks. But they’re working together to open up the first and only food truck court in Tulsa.
“They’re popular in other cities like Austin and Portland and I said why not Tulsa,” Neely said. “A lot of people like food in Tulsa.”
A vacant lot on 6th Street and South Quincy Avenue will soon be a one-stop shop for foodies. They hope to have four trucks parked there daily all offering different menus.
Find the entire article <here>
